Two long time businesses are closing their doors in Cole Valley, quickly making Cole Valley somewhat unrecognizable. The laundromat at the corner of Carl and Cole has closed its doors after over 20 years of business. This came as a bit of surprise to residents since it seemed very sudden and without much notice. Owner, Doug Olssen, posted up a note mentioning that the business lost its lease and that his other laundromat, at 1101 Cole St, is still in business. For those that live near Carl/Cole and without an in-unit W/D, they must now venture a bit farther to clean their clothes and linens.

Cole Garage has also announced that they will be leaving because of the sale of the building. Most might recognize the building because of the colorful pet-filled mural on the front facade. The owner is currently looking for a new location for his business and possible storage location for the equipment.  The space has been rumored to become condos and businesses on the ground floor. We are hoping that the new owners will preserve the front of Cole Garage in the process. 

Once we wipe our tears away as more long-time businesses leave our hood, we always ask the daunting question, "Who will move into the space?  What do you want to see in the now vacant space? 

As most in the hood are already aware, the SFMTA has been working for upgrading the tunnel between Duboce Park and Cole Valley, known as the Sunset Tunnel. Typically, construction has been on weekends, Friday PM to Monday AM., 24 hours, around the clock. Residents in Duboce Triangle complained about the constant construction noise, from beeping trucks, to pouring of gravel, and even jackhammers. Since the residents' complaints, there has been no tunnel construction. Happy for the Duboce Triangle residents, but not so much for the completion of this long drawn out process. This improvement project has been going on for years and we're hoping the Sunset Tunnel is the last project. 

According to  Hoodline, the SF Board of Appeals met and signed off on a new proposal that will allow construction to resume starting March 21st.

Here is the new changes in light of resident complaints:

• Install mufflers on its equipment
• Use lower-frequency broadband beepers that emit "white noise" sounds rather than beeps
• Take continuous noise readings while it's performing night work, and make sound logs available upon request
• Not use impact tools at night, such as jackhammers

Content for this article was used with permission from Hoodline. 

Have you ever taken a stroll around the hood and walked by this large Art Deco building and its twin at 639 Frederick and wondered, "What the hell did this used to be?" Also what about the housing complex that stretches the entire block on Frederick? The answer may surprise you. All these buildings were a part of Polytechnic High School. Poly was in operation from 1884 to 1973 and moved around a bunch before finding its place at 701 Frederick. 

Over those years, the school created a reputation for a ​"​cosmopolitan, diverse and talented student body, inspirational teachers and administrators, and exceptional football teams.​"

What about Kezar Stadium across the street? Well, it served as Poly's athletic facilities. One high school football game in particular, Poly vs. Lowell in 1928, was attended by over 50,000 people. This was the largest attendance for any high school football game in Northern California. 

If you want to learn more about Poly, visit The Polytechnic Memorial website here. 

Also side note, that housing complex on Frederick is actually an affordable housing complex and those qualified can apply to live there. Great way to use the old high school space and give back to the city. 

There seems to be a strange bermuda triangle at the intersection of Frederick and Stanyan. Several businesses cannot seem to survive. Remember Sun Tanning Salon and Cole Valley Cardio [now Past Perfect]? That particular storefront has seen more turnover than most in the neighborhood. Well another bites the dust at this mysterious intersection. Pitch Salon (514 Frederick), moved to the Mission late last fall and the former space has remained empty. Lack of foot traffic could have been due to the salon's decline, and with the other businesses around this intersection. Maybe new business owners in this strange bermuda triangle should take some advice from American Cyclery who have been a staple at the Frederick and Stanyan corner for decades! 

According to Hoodline, an online head shop, Billowby, will be moving into the former Pitch Salon space. Billowby is San Francisco based and has been in business for five months. From a quick jaunt through the Haight, it's obvious we do not need any more headshops. Since they are predominately an online store, it will be interesting to see how they use the space. 

Also the CEO David Matthews is a Cole Valley/Upper Haight resident himself so it's nice to see local business owners being able to set up shop close to home. Major neighborhood points there!